Eyeglass-spring.



No. 729,464. PATENTED MAY 26, 1903.

' G. W. WELLS.

EYEGLASS SPRING.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20, 1903.

, Q W M UNITED, STATES Patented May 26, 1903.

GEORGE W. WELLS, OF SOUTHBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

EYEG,l ASS-SPR|NG.

srnorrroa'rron forming part e f Letters Patent no. 729,464, dated May26, 1903.

' Application filed January 20.1903. Serial No. 139,840- (N mod m T allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. WELLs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Sou thbridge, in the county of Worcester and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new andusefulImprovementsinEyeglass-Springs, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to eyeglass-springs made of fiat metal; and theobject of my invention is to make an improved eyeglassspring of reducedwidth through the central portion andwith widened ends to fill therecess in the head of the eyeglass-post.

In making my improved eyeglass-spring I preferably take a strip ofnarrow flat metal and cut it into blanks of the desired length and ofsuch a width at the ends that when the ends are bent edgewise to extendalongside of and contiguous to the main part of the strip the width ofthe bent ends will nearly fill therecess in the head of theeyeglass-post. I bend the extreme ends edgewise on the same 7 side ofthe strip to cause them'to extend alongside of and substantiallyparallel to the main body of the strip. The bending 'of the ends makesthe metal a little thicker at the bent portion, and the bent ends areplaced in a die orholder of proper shape and hammered or swaged toflatten the ends to make them the proper width, so that they willsubstantially fill the recess in the head of the eyeglass-post.

The amount of the. flatteningof the ends is controlled by the size ofthe die. The free end of the bent portion is left disconnected from themain portion, leaving the ends partially slit centrally. A hole isdrilled or punched in the widened ends for the hold ing-screw.

My invention consists in certain novel features of construction of myimprovements in eyeglass-springs of fiat metal, as will be hereinafterfully described.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a front perspective view of aneyeglass-spring embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a detached end viewlooking in the direction of arrow a, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows a fiat stripof metal or a blank from which the spring is made. Fig. 4 shows theblank in Fig. 3 with the ends bent edgewise to make them wider,

andFig. 5 shows the blank in Fig. 4 after the holes are punched in thewidened ends.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 is a blank or strip of fiat metal of thedesired length and width from which my spring is made. Each end of theblank 1 is bent edgewise on the same side of the blank, as shown in Fig.4, thus doubling the width of the blank at its attaching ends. Thedouble width of the blank at its ends makes it wide enough tosubstantially, fill the recess in thepost of the eyeglass. The bent ends1 of the blank 1 are then preferablyhammered or swaged to compress andflatten the metal and cause the ends to closely fill the recess in theeyeglasspost and prevent their working from side to side. In hammeringor swaging the bent ends 1' they are placed in a die or holder ofsuitable shape and size. The swaging of the bent ends 1 does not closethe slit or opening between thebent ends and the main part of the blank,so that the bent ends may and will have atendency to spring out or moveaway slightly from the main part of the blank, and thus tend to keep theends of the eyeglassspring tight in the post. A hole or perforation 2 ispunched in the bent ends 1 of the blank, as shown in Fig. 5, and thenthe blank is bent into the form of the finished spring, as shown in Fig.1.

I am aware that it is not new to enlarge or .widen the attaching end ofa flat eyeglassspring by stamping or cutting the blank of narrower widthbetween the attaching ends; but I am not aware that prior to myinvention the enlarged or widened ends of a fiat eyeglass-spring havebeen made from ablank by turning or bending the ends of the blankedgewise to doublethe width of the blank at its ends with the additionalwidth all on one side or edge of the blank.

In my improved construction of eyeglasssprings with widened attachingends narrower strips of metal can be used and there is no loss ofmaterial, as in the ordinary construction above referred to, in whichthe blank is trimmed or cut on each edge between its ends to leave thewidened ends with each edge of the ends extending beyond the edges ofthe main portion of the spring.

I have used the term eyeglass-spring; but it will understood I intend toinclude herein what are also termed bridges, bridge-pieces, or bows ofeyeglasses and spectacles.

It will be understood that the details of construction of myimprovedeyeglass-spring may be varied, if desired.

I have used the words flat metal, but I intend to include under saidwords flattened metal or oval shape in cross-section or partiallycylindrical shape.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. An improved article of manufacture, an eyeglass spring or bridge, offlat metal, having its ends widened by bending the ends edgewise toextend substantially parallel and described.

GEORGE W. WELLS.

Witnesses:

J. C. WELLS, M. HAAS.

